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What is Vex Robotics?
Vex Robotics is a robotics competition for elementary through university students run by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. There are three divisions of this robotics competition meant for different age groups and skill levels: VEX EDR, VEX U, VEX AI, and VEX IQ. VEX EDR is for middle and high school students, VEX U is for university students, VEX AI is for high schools and university students, and VEX IQ is for elementary and middle school students only. In the competition, students are given a yearly challenge, and must design, build, program, and drive a robot to complete the challenge as best as they can.
General Rules of Vex VRC
In this competition, teams design, build, and program robots to compete at tournaments. Students from Grades 6-12 may participate. At tournaments, teams participate in qualifying matches where two teams vs two teams participate. In the Elimination Rounds, alliances of two teams are selected by the top-seeded teams, and the alliance who wins the finals is the winner of the tournament.
This Year’s Challenge – Change Up
VEX Robotics Competition Change Up is played on a 12’x12’ square field configured as seen below. Two (2) Alliances – one (1) “red” and one (1) “blue” – composed of two (2) Teams each, compete in Matches consisting of a fifteen-second (0:15) Autonomous Period, followed by a one-minute and forty-five second (1:45) Driver Controlled Period. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring Balls and Connecting Rows. There are 32 balls in total, 16 of each color (red and blue). 2 of each color are an alliance’s preloads. Balls can be scored in goals additionally you may score points by connecting rows, this is done by having a row of 3 owned by the same alliance. Balls may be de-scored by removing it from the bottom of the goal. If an alliance completes its home row during the autonomous period they will receive one win point. It’s the first time in a VEX Robotics Competition that a win point is awarded for an action during autonomous period.
Scoring:
- Ball in goal – 1 Point
- Connected row – 6 points
- Autonomous Bonus – 6 Points
Links to Previous Challenges
- Tower Takeover (2019 – 2020)
- Turning Point (2018 – 2019)
- In the Zone (2017 – 2018)
- Starstruck (2016 – 2017)
- Nothing But Net (2015 – 2016)
- Skyrise (2014 – 2015)
- Toss Up (2013 – 2014)
- Sack Attack (2012 – 2013)
- Gateway (2011 – 2012)
- Round Up (2010 – 2011)
- Clean Sweep (2009 – 2010)
- Elevation (2008 – 2009)
- Bridge Battle (2007 – 2008)
